“Bedoop.” That might be the sound someone might hear as they lazily place a magazine advertisement in front of their desktop camera. Magically, the marketing and sales web site associated with the ad is displayed on their computer. More information? Want to buy now? Look at the full product line? No problem.
“Bedoop.” That might be the same sound when that same someone places their credit card in front of their desktop camera. Instantly, the product displayed on the web page is purchased. Behind the scenes, a secure purchase link is initiated, transmitting all requisite information to the vendor. Twist the credit card clockwise and the purchaser chooses overnight delivery.
So goes an exemplary embodiment further described in this specifications. Although this example is rather specific, it nevertheless alludes to vast array of applications possible when an input device such as a digital camera is turned into a general-purpose user interface device with an intuitive power that very well might rival the mouse and the keyboard.
One aspect of certain embodiments is that an object or paper product so-scanned contains digital information that can be quickly read and acted upon by an appropriately configured device, computer or appliance. Such an embodiment envisions that this digital information is aesthetically hidden on objects. These objects have been previously and pro-actively marked with the digital information, using any of the broad range of data encoding technologies, such as digital watermarking.
Although this aspect of the technology concentrates on flat object applications wherein the digital information is often imperceptibly integrated into the object, it is certainly not meant to be so limited. Objects can be three dimensional in nature and the information more visually overt and/or pre-existing (i.e., not “pro-actively” embedded, or it might not even be “digital,” per se). Different implementation considerations attach to these variants. Likewise, though the bulk of this disclosure concentrates on objects which have some form of digital message attached thereto, some aspects of the technology may apply to objects which have no such thing, where the prior arts of pattern recognition and gestural input can be borrowed in combination with this technology to effect yet a broader array of applications.
Nor, as will be apparent, is the technology limited to systems employing optical input and encoded imagery. Corresponding techniques can also be employed with encoded audio. Indeed, any physical or electronic “object” can make use of the principles detailed herein.
“Bedoop.” The sound that a refrigerator might make, outfitted with a simple camera/processor unit/net connection, as a ten year old child holds up an empty milk carton and a ping goes out to the local grocery store, adding the item to an accumulating delivery list. The sound that might be heard echoing over and over inside Internet cafes as heretofore computerphobes take their first skeptical steps onto the World Wide Web. The sound heard at the fast food counter as a repeat customer holds up his sandwich card ticking off his latest meal, hoping for the sirens to go off for a $500 prize given to the lucky customer of the week. Blue sky scenarios abound.
Such aspects of the present technology are thus about powerful new user interfaces to computers. These new user interfaces extend into the everyday world in ways that a mouse and keyboard never could. By enabling everyday objects to communicate their identities and functions to ever-attendant devices, not only will the World Wide Web be given an entirely new dimension, but basic home and office computing may be in store for some fundamental advances as well.
According to one aspect, the invention includes a method of data processing on a computer system, comprising (a) using an application program to compose an electronic version of a document; (b) printing the document onto paper, the printing including marking with machine readable indicia encoding plural-bit auxiliary data; and (c) storing the plural-bit auxiliary data in association with data identifying a location at which the electronic version of the document is stored.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a method of data processing on a computer system, comprising (a) presenting a printed document to an optical capture device; (b) processing image data produced by said device to decode plural-bit data encoded therein; (c) based on said decoded plural-bit data, launching a software application corresponding,to said printed document; and (d) using said software application to open an electronic version of said document.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a method of operating a computer, the computer including an operating system with a registry database, the registry database associating specific data types with specific software programs particularly corresponding thereto, wherein the method further includes: (a) providing a frame of image data; (b) decoding plural-bit identifier data from the image data; (c) consulting the registry database to identify a software program corresponding to said identifier data; and (d) invoking the identified software program.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a greeting card having a substrate with visually-perceptible indicia printed thereon, wherein the card is encoded with plural-bit binary data that can be decoded by an image processing device and used to direct a computer to a web site where an image, video, and/or audio presentation corresponding to said card is provided.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a method of providing a customized greeting, comprising: (a) providing a greeting card having plural-bit data encoded therein; (b) customizing a web site presentation corresponding to said card; (c) providing the card to a recipient; (d) decoding the encoded plural-bit data from the card; and (e) in response to the decoded plural-bit data, presenting to the recipient the web site presentation.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a method of printing a magazine, comprising: (a) processing an electronic representation of an advertisement to encode plural bit data therein; (b) printing a page of advertising in accordance with said electronic representation to yield an encoded advertisement page; and (c) binding said page into a magazine; wherein said plural bit data serves to identify an entry in a database, said database entry having an internet address of a web page that is associated with said advertisement stored therein.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a promotional method comprising: (a) encoding a print advertisement to hide plural-bit data therein; (b) processing the print advertisement to extract the plural-bit data therefrom; and (c) using at least a part of the extracted plural-bit data to direct an internet web browser to a web site that provides consumer information related to a product or service promoted by the print advertisement.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a method of determining consumer response to print advertising, comprising: (a) encoding a first print advertisement with first data; (b) encoding a second print advertisement with second data different than the first; (c) the first and second data providing identifiers by which consumer devices can link to web pages associated with said advertisements; (d) monitoring linking traffic due to each of said identifiers to thereby determine consumer response to the advertisements.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a promotional method comprising: (a) presenting an object within the field of view of an optical sensor device, the object being selected from the list consisting of a retail product, packaging for a retail product, or printed advertising; (b) acquiring optical data corresponding to the object; (c) decoding plural-bit digital data from the optical data; (d) submitting at least some of said decoded data to a remote computer; and (e) determining at the remote computer whether a prize should be awarded in response to submission of said decoded data.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a method of interacting with a magazine using a computer, the computer including an internet web browser, the method including: (a) providing a peripheral device having a sensor; (b) positioning the peripheral device adjacent a first advertisement in the magazine to direct the web browser to a first internet address; and (c) positioning the peripheral device adjacent a second advertisement in the magazine to direct the web browser to a second internet address.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a computer peripheral and method of its use, the peripheral being used in conjunction with a computer system having an internet browser associated therewith, the peripheral comprising: (a) a housing adapted to fit within a user's palm and slide over a medium; (b) an optical sensor having at least one sensing element and producing optical data; (c) a lens for imaging the medium onto the sensor, and the method includes: (a) sliding the peripheral over a portion of a printed advertisement; (b) processing the optical data to decode plural bit information encoded on the advertisement; and (c) using said plural bit information to direct the internet browser to an internet web page associated with said advertisement.
According to another aspect, the invention includes an electronic commerce method comprising: (a) providing a printed catalog that includes an image of an article offered for sale by a merchant, wherein the image is encoded with plural-bit binary data; (b) optically sensing the image to produce optical data corresponding thereto; (c) decoding the encoded data from the optical data; and (d) electronically ordering the article from the merchant by use of said decoded data. The ordering may make use of earlier-stored customer profile information (e.g., clothing size data), and the encoding may be steganographic.
According to another aspect, the invention comprises a wireless telephony handset including a microphone, a modulator, and an RF amplifier, the device serving to receive audio and transmit an RF signal conveying audio modulation, the handset further including an optical sensor producing optical data, a lens for imaging an object onto the sensor, and a decoder for decoding plural bit identifier data conveyed by a barcode or a digital watermark on the object.
According to another aspect, the invention includes an image-based network navigation method permitting a user to link to a remote computer, comprising: (a) detecting encoded data from a printed object; (b) linking to the remote computer through a network in accordance with said encoded data; and (c) providing the user's zip code to the remote computer.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a method comprising: (a) sensing an object identifier from a first object; (b) sending said first object identifier from a first device to a second device; (c) in response, at said second device, identifying address information corresponding to said first object identifier and sending same to the first device; (d) initiating a link from the first device in accordance with said address information; (e) at said second device, identifying additional objects related to said first object; identifying additional address information corresponding to said additional objects; and sending said additional address information to the first device; and (f) storing said additional address information in a memory at the first device; wherein, if an object included among said identified additional objects is sensed by the first device, the corresponding address information can be retrieved from said memory in the first device without the intervening delays of communicating with the second device.
According to another aspect, the invention includes an apparatus having a detector of machine readable data and a software program used in conjunction with said machine readable data, operable to transmit a packet of data to a remote system, said packet of data comprising (a) an identifier of said software program, and (b) at least a portion of detected machine readable data.
According to another aspect, the invention includes an apparatus having a detector of machine readable data and a software program used in conjunction with said machine readable data, operable to transmit a packet of data to a remote system, said packet of data comprising (a) a context or environment identifier, and (b) at least a portion of detected machine readable data.
According to another aspect, the invention includes a networked computer system, responsive to watermark data sent from a software program on a remote computer, to initiate delivery of advertisement data to said remote computer.
In any of the foregoing arrangements, the encoding can be steganographic (e.g., by digital watermarking), or can employ other machine readable data (e.g., barcodes, etc.). More generally, the arrangements just reviewed generally have counterparts that can be implemented with other than optical or image data (e.g., audio data, magnetic stripe information, etc.).
The foregoing just touches on a few of the many inventive aspects of the technology detailed below. These and other features of the present technology will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.